A Cup of Joe
Recently I bought a capsule coffee machine. I also bought some capsules (pods) with Tim Horton’s coffee inside. Tim Horton’s is the most popular café in Canada. Today I shared the Canadian flavor with co-workers.
Actually, I learned a new Korean expression, 커혈. It is a portmanteau of coffee (커피) + blood transfusion (수혈). So, the phrase basically means that you have coffee in your veins. “______ in your veins” is a way to describe something that is an important quality of the person. Since it is part of your blood, it is a part of you.
Example: He had fear in his veins.
Example: She has soccer in her veins.
Today’s expression, a cup of joe, means a cup of coffee.
Example: Would you like to join me for a cup of joe?
Example: It is a snowy day. Let’s just stay inside with a nice cup of joe.
The etymology of this phrase is not well known, but I’ll present you with four possible origins.
Origin #1: The name Joe is a common name and is often used for a generalized man. The phrase “average joe” just means a normal person. Since coffee is a common person’s drink, it was given the name Joe.
Origin #2: There is a theory that the phrase comes from Josephus (Joe) Daniels. There was a ban on alcohol, so “Joe” would bring them some coffee instead of alcohol.
Origin #3: Some linguists believe that joe comes from jamoke. Jamoke was a portmanteau of Java (where a lot of coffee comes from) and mocha. Over time jamoke was shortened to joe.
Origin #4: American soldiers were given instant coffee from the George Washington Coffee Refining Company. As a short form, they would call it a cup of George. Over time this was corrupted to a cup of joe.
I like the story behind Joe Daniels. But which origin do you like? Which one is the most likely?
For more English phrases and quotes, follow the ESL Toybox Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ESL-ToyBox-112152010890485